38 NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2008
Bridge over troubled borders
T
HOUSANDS of
Brize Norton Station Commander arrived at Brize on a bus 15
military personnel
Gp Capt Malcolm Brecht, minutes before departure after
pass through RAF
who says the changes, whilst being processed through South
important, make no difference Cerney.
Brize Norton every year to the essential nature of his CPO Ben Glenton said: “The
on their way to Iraq,
business. biggest change I’ve seen is
Afghanistan and other
He said: “Military airbridge that the RAF fly straight into
postings around the world,
operations are not like running Kandahar now instead of going
a commercial airline as we are via Kabul, so there’s not so
writes Simon Mander, of connected by an umbilical cord much messing around.
RAF Air Command Media
to operational theatres. “I’d used Brize Norton, but
Ops.
“So when something happens had never used South Cerney
Of the total, roughly 60 per
in Bastion, Basra, or Baghdad and before. They were professional,
they need us to respond, such as everything went smoothly and
cent are Army, 30 per cent
to an aeromedical evacuation, when we got to this side all the
are RAF and 10 per cent are
we have to prioritise. baggage was there and nothing
RN and Royal Marines. “We do not have predictable was ruined.
Statistics show that the schedules and we fly wide- “The flight was good, the food
reliability of the airbridge is bodied aircraft into hostile was good, and the service was
increasing. environments. good.”
Between February and “Naturally we are very aware Royal
November 2007, three out of of the risks and take every Marine
four TriStar flights to and from precaution to protect those that Stuart
Afghanistan arrived within an we carry – and these factors Elks, of
hour of schedule, while 85 per themselves cause changes and 40 Cdo, was
cent arrived within three hours delays.” also positive as he prepared for
– an improvement on 2006. A few facts and figures his fi rst operational tour.
But statistics can’t tell us illustrate the achievements of He said: “The set-up here
everything, and the heightened the Airbridge operation: seems the same as a civilian
operational tempo is placing Since the start of airbridge airport. It’s been smooth so far,
additional pressure on the support to Operation Telic in everything seems to be working
airbridge. April 2003, the RAF has flown quite well.
Sometimes things go wrong, 353,675 personnel into Iraq – the “There have been no problems
or the situation changes, causing equivalent of a city the size of or waiting around and no delays
frustration for Service personnel Leicester. – yet. It’s a nice atmosphere,
and their families, and cuts into Since the start of airbridge quite relaxing.”
precious leave and R&R. support to Operation Herrick Others did not
Senior officers are acutely in October 2004, the RAF has fare so well – Army
aware of the problem and flown 115,357 personnel to L/Cpl Zoë Edwards could not be
in recent months have
● Hercules and other military aircraft make combat
Afghanistan – more than the found on the system, and they
implemented changes to
landings under cover of darkness in hostile destinations
population of Cambridge. eventually worked out that she
improve the experience of Over the same period, the was booked in as a ‘Mr Best’. Pictures: SAC Andrew Morris
those using the airbridge, by RAF has transported 64,092 But airbridge veteran Flt
same processes and using
(RAF Combat Camera Team)
shortening waiting times and tonnes of cargo to Iraq, the Sgt John Moorhouse, who has
exactly the same services.
handling delays professionally equivalent of 1,025 Challenger completed four tours of Iraq and
“In any year some 1,000
and transparently. 2 tanks or 5,341 double-decker two of Afghanistan, said he had
personnel from the station serve
There’s a new coffee shop at buses. noticed the changes in recent
in Afghanistan or Iraq.
Flight schedule
RAF Brize Norton with extended It has also freighted 30,481 months.
“When there’s a delay,
opening hours. tonnes of cargo to Afghanistan, He said: “Check-in is a
passengers are not the only
Terminals offer internet the equivalent of 487 Challenger lot quicker than it was and
ones affected – the crew are
access and information displays 2s or 2,540 double-deckers. coming back last time seemed
subjected to it too, and some is ‘relentless’
on everything from baggage A recent survey found the smoother. Having somewhere
are subject to this lifestyle for
allowances to routes to theatre standard of in-flight catering to buy a coffee and a paper
their entire career.
and what to expect when you and the briefing of passengers outside normal opening hours is
“We live with the unpredictable
MAJOR General David
get there. with regard to flight information, also very useful.”
climate in Afghanistan and
Shouesmith, the senior officer
Customer satisfaction survey including delays, to be the two Gp Capt Brecht said: “When
Iraq every day, and crews in
responsible for airbridge
forms mean that shortfalls in main areas of complaint among people criticise they should
particular can rarely tell family
performance, said the need
service can be pinpointed and users. remember that roughly eight per
or friends exactly when they will
for a broader Defence-wide
steps taken to put them right. But there are signs of cent of the RAF is based at Brize
be home.
approach to tackling the
And if there are delays, improvement, with those rating Norton, so we have personnel
“That’s not a complaint, I’m
challenges of the airbridge
senior aircrew from that flight catering as ‘poor’ falling from 11 constantly flying in and out of the
not looking for sympathy – it’s
to Telic and Herrick, plus
will, wherever possible, brief per cent to 3 per cent between same airports as others, going
just the way it is, and we will
support to the Defence
passengers in the departure July and August 2007. through the
continue to adapt to enable
Exercise Programme, had
lounge. So what do the punters think
operations as best
been identified in late 2006.
So, is the – for example, those on the 1005
we can.”
A meeting of key senior
airbridge flight from Brize to Kandahar officers from front-line
turning into on a winter Sunday?
commands decided where
a military First up were
further action was needed,
version of a members of the
and Maj Gen Shouesmith was
commercial Naval Strike
given responsibility last year.
airline? Wing,
“There are two things I
Not who
would like to highlight,” he
according to
said.
RAF
“Firstly, there will always be
the potential for delay in moving
● Maj Gen David Shouesmith
people to operational theatres;
that RAF aircrews are making
weather, infrastructure and the
to supporting operations, to
threat levels might all affect
plans in a way that civilian
Afghanistan in particular.
airlines simply don’t have to
“Having spoken to a large
deal with.
number of crews over the past
“We might also have to re-
year during my own travels to
task an aircraft at short notice
theatre we should be under no
for a strategic aeromedical
illusions that the schedule of
evacuation task – which will
return trips for C-17 and TriStar
always be our highest priority.
crews is pretty demanding,
“How we handle passengers
and relentless.
under these circumstances is
“Be under no illusions
key, and I like to think that
that they recognise their
aircrew, and both RAF and
responsibilities for providing
Army movement controllers,
our lifeline to operations, and
have got much better at this
are fully focused on ensuring
over the past year or so.
the safe movement of people
“Secondly, we should and kit safely to and from
recognise the contribution theatre.”
● Movements staff normally based at RAF Brize Norton prepare
● An RAF TriStar is unloaded at Kandahar in Afghanistan
freight for delivery to different regions of Afghanistan
038_NN_feb.indd 1 16/1/08 15:34:56
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